What is Social Engineering ? Introduction to Social engineering

What is Social Engineering?

Social engineering is the art of manipulating people so they give up confidential information. The types of information these criminals are seeking can vary, but when individuals are targeted the criminals are usually trying to trick you into giving them your passwords or bank information, or access your computer to secretly install malicious software–that will give them access to your passwords and bank information as well as giving them control over your computer.

Criminals use social engineering tactics because it is usually easier to exploit your natural inclination to trust than it is to discover ways to hack your software. For example, it is much easier to fool someone into giving you their password than it is for you to try hacking their password (unless the password is really weak).

Security is all about knowing who and what to trust. Knowing when, and when not to, to take a person at their word; when to trust that the person you are communicating with is indeed the person you think you are communicating with; when to trust that a website is or isn’t legitimate; when to trust that the person on the phone is or isn’t legitimate; when providing your information is or isn’t a good idea.

Factors that make companies to vulnerable for Social Engineering

Insufficient Security Training

Easy of access of information

Lack of Security Professionals & Policies

Several organizational units

Effectiveness of Social Engineering:

Security policies are as strong as their weakest link, and humans are the most susceptible factor.

Its is difficult to detect social engineering attempts.

There is no method software or hardware for defending against a social engineering attack.

There is no specific software or hardware for defending against a social engineering attack.

Vineet Bharadwaj is the Founder of this Website.
He is a Security Researcher, Pentration Tester and
Certified Ethical Hacker with experience in various aspects of Information Security and Co author in "hakin9.org IT Security Magazine" n "E-forensics Magazine" and Author of Ebook "Wireshark: The packet sniffer" Also Got listed In many Big companies site's Hall Of Fame Other then He is a SEO expert,Web Analytic Expert, Blogger, Web Developer n Designer, Social Media Marketing. His all efforts is to make internet more Secure.